Improvement in boiler-cleaners



ZSheets--Sh-eef.

G. H|CKS.- Boiler-Cleaners,

N0 ]501038. Patented April 21 187.4.

Fig.1

n NITED STATES GEORGE HICKS, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOlLER-CLEANERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 150,038, dated April 2l, 1874 application tiled March 19, 1874.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE I-IrcKs, of Cincinnati, Hamilton county, State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tubular Steam-Boilers, of which the following' is a speciiication:

My invention relates to devices for cleaning the incrustation and sediment from the interior of the tubes composing the well-known character of boiler in which the water occupies the interior of the tubes; and my invention consists of permanent cleaners, which occupy continuously the interior of the tubes, and are formed spirally, the edges of the spiral fitting snugly the bore ofthe tube, so that the longitudinal motion to be given to the cleaners shall operate to cause the edgesof the spiral to scrape off the incrustation or sediment from the tubes, the sides of the spiral also serving to assist in the generation of the steam by giving a rotary motion to the water, so as to conipel the heaviest and coldest to hug the outer part ofthe tube.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a tubular stealnboiler in which my cleaners are attached. Fig. 2 is an end view oi the same with the mud-drum in section, and Fig. 3 represents detached views ofthe handle and shank ofthe cleaner-rods.

The tubes A are connected so as to compose a steam-boiler in the ordinary way, diaphra gms B bein g used to direct the gases backward and forward from front to rear of the boiler, space bein g left at the ends ofthe diaphra gms,in the ordinary way, for the upward passage ofthe gases. rlhe tubes are connected together by sectionheads C, con nectin g with the steam-drum D at t-he upper end, and with the mud-drum E at the lower end. From this mud-drum all the material cleaned out from the tubes is blown oill through pipe F, governed in the usual Way by a valve. To those of the tubes A which are exposed tothe water, and to the muddrum E, I it my cleaners, the construction of which is as follows: Gis a round rod, fitted or formed at the inner end with a spiral blade, H, the periphery of which is made to snugly iit the interior of the tube, as shown in Figs. l and 2.' The outer end of each rod works through a stuffing-box, I, in the section-head' C, and is formed at the end with a peculiarshaped shank, for the attachment of the handle, bywhich the cleaners may be drawn backward and forward in the tubes. The shanks are preferably square, and have a notch, J, cut in them, as shown. One handle, K, is used to lit either of the shanks, the handle having a square socket to snugly iit the shank, and a spril'ig-catch, L, to engage with the notch J.

It will be seen that in the operation of the boiler with these cleaners in place, the spiral wings H will give the water a rotary motion, which will assist in the generation of steam by throwing the coldest water in contact with the tube, and that at any time, when deposits in the tubes are suspected, the-rods G can be drawn out by the handle K, so as to cause the outer edge of the spiral H to scrape oil' the deposit, the material thus cleaned oit' being forced to fall into the mud-drum E, from whence it may be scraped olf by spiral H, and blown off at pipe F.

Iclaim- In combination with the tubes of the boiler and the stlufng-boxes I, the rods G, iitted at the ends with spiral wings H, substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

In testimony of` which invention I hereunto Set my hand. f

GEORGE HICKS. 

